The Theory of Evolution: A History of Controversy

Charles Darwin's theory of organic evolution-the idea that life on earth is the product of purely natural causes, not the hand of God-set off shock waves that continue to reverberate through Western society, and especially the United States. What makes evolution such a profoundly provocative concept, so convincing to most scientists, yet so socially and politically divisive? These 12 eye-opening lectures are an examination of the varied elements that so often make this science the object of strong sentiments and heated debate.

The Foundations of Western Civilization

What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.

The American Civil War

Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.

A Day's Read

Join three literary scholars and award-winning professors as they introduce you to dozens of short masterpieces that you can finish-and engage with-in a day or less. Perfect for people with busy lives who still want to discover-or rediscover-just how transformative an act of reading can be, these 36 lectures range from short stories of fewer than 10 pages to novellas and novels of around 200 pages. Despite their short length, these works are powerful examinations of the same subjects and themes that longer "great books" discuss.

History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach

Military history often highlights successes and suggests a sense of inevitability about victory, but there is so much that can be gleaned from considering failures. Study these crucibles of history to gain a better understanding of why a civilization took - or didn't take - a particular path.

The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World

Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.

The Science of Energy: Resources and Power Explained

To better put into perspective the various issues surrounding energy in the 21st century, you need to understand the essential science behind how energy works. And you need a reliable source whose focus is on giving you the facts you need to form your own educated opinions.

Understanding the Mysteries of Human Behavior

Every day of your life is spent surrounded by mysteries that involve what appear to be rather ordinary human behaviors. What makes you happy? Where did your personality come from? Why do you have trouble controlling certain behaviors? Why do you behave differently as an adult than you did as an adolescent?Since the start of recorded history, and probably even before, people have been interested in answering questions about why we behave the way we do.

Food: A Cultural Culinary History

Eating is an indispensable human activity. As a result, whether we realize it or not, the drive to obtain food has been a major catalyst across all of history, from prehistoric times to the present. Epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said it best: "Gastronomy governs the whole life of man."

Writing Creative Nonfiction

Bringing together the imaginative strategies of fiction storytelling and new ways of narrating true, real-life events, creative nonfiction is the fastest-growing part of the creative writing world. It's a cutting-edge genre that's reshaping how we write (and read) everything from biographies and memoirs to blogs and public speaking scripts to personal essays and magazine articles.

Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills

No skill is more important in today's world than being able to think about, understand, and act on information in an effective and responsible way. What's more, at no point in human history have we had access to so much information, with such relative ease, as we do in the 21st century. But because misinformation out there has increased as well, critical thinking is more important than ever. These 24 rewarding lectures equip you with the knowledge and techniques you need to become a savvier, sharper critical thinker in your professional and personal life.

No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life

What is life? What is my place in it? What choices do these questions obligate me to make? More than a half-century after it burst upon the intellectual scene - with roots that extend to the mid-19th century - Existentialism's quest to answer these most fundamental questions of individual responsibility, morality, and personal freedom, life has continued to exert a profound attraction.

Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to Rational Decision Making

Economic forces are everywhere around you. But that doesn't mean you need to passively accept whatever outcome those forces might press upon you. Instead, with these 12 fast-moving and crystal clear lectures, you can learn how to use a small handful of basic nuts-and-bolts principles to turn those same forces to your own advantage.

The Italians before Italy: Conflict and Competition in the Mediterranean

Take a riveting tour of the Italian peninsula, from the glittering canals of Venice to the lavish papal apartments and ancient ruins of Rome. In these 24 lectures, Professor Bartlett traces the development of the Italian city-states of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, showing how the modern nation of Italy was forged out of the rivalries, allegiances, and traditions of a vibrant and diverse people.

The Nature of Matter: Understanding the Physical World

In the 24 engaging lectures of The Nature of Matter, no scientific background is needed to appreciate such miracles of everyday life as a bouncing rubber ball or water's astonishing power to dissolve. Moreover, the study of matter has led directly to such inventions as semiconductor circuits for computers, new fabrics for clothes, and powerful adhesives for medicine and industry.

Sheldor the Conqueror says:"Excellent entry into the world of physics"

1066: The Year That Changed Everything

With this exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark Norman Conquest. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, these lectures will plunge you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and much more.Your journey starts in the 10th and early 11th centuries, when power in England and Normandy was very much up for grabs-and when the small island nation was under continuous assault from Viking forces. Professor Paxton helps you gain a solid grasp of the complex political alliances and shifting relationships between figures such as Emma of Normandy, Cnut, and Edward the Confessor. She also recounts for you the two seminal battles that pitted England against the Scandinavians and the Normans: the Battle of Stamford Bridge and the Battle of Hastings. Throughout the lectures, Dr. Paxton opens your eyes to continued debates and controversies over this year and offers her own take on the Norman Conquest's enduring legacy and the fascinating results of this epic clash. By exploring the year 1066-what led up to it, what happened during that fateful year, and what changed as a result-you'll gain a sharper perspective and a greater understanding of everything that would come afterward.

Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists, 2nd Edition

"It doesn't take an Einstein to understand modern physics," says Professor Wolfson at the outset of these 24 lectures on what may be the most important subjects in the universe: relativity and quantum physics. Both have reputations for complexity. But the basic ideas behind them are, in fact, simple and comprehensible by anyone. These dynamic and illuminating lectures begin with a brief overview of theories of physical reality starting with Aristotle and culminating in Newtonian or "classical" physics. After that, you'll follow along as Professor Wolfson outlines the logic that led to Einstein's profound theory of special relativity and the simple yet far-reaching insight on which it rests. With that insight in mind, you'll move on to consider Einstein's theory of general relativity and its interpretation of gravitation in terms of the curvature of space and time.From there, you'll embark on a dazzling exploration of how inquiry into matter at the atomic and subatomic scales led to quandaries that are resolved-or at least clarified-by quantum mechanics, a vision of physical reality so profound and so at odds with our experience that it nearly defies language.By bringing relativity and quantum mechanics into the same picture, you'll chart the development of fascinating hypotheses about the origin, development, and possible futures of the entire universe, as well as the possibility that physics can produce a "theory of everything" to account for all aspects of the physical world. But the goal throughout these lectures remains the same: to present the key ideas of modern physics in a way that makes them clear to the interested layperson.

Elements of Jazz: From Cakewalks to Fusion

Jazz is a uniquely American art form, one of America's great contributions to not only musical culture, but world culture, with each generation of musicians applying new levels of creativity that take the music in unexpected directions that defy definition, category, and stagnation.

Now you can learn the basics and history of this intoxicating genre in an eight-lecture series that is as free-flowing and original as the art form itself.

Publisher's Summary

Alexander the Great, Jesus, Darwin, and Churchill are just a few of the many politicians, religious leaders, scientists, philosophers, authors, inventors, and generals who transformed our world in ways that still resonate today. Now, with this unique collection of 36 lectures from our extensive course catalog, meet the remarkable people without whom the world would never be the same.

You'll examine the world that was dramatically reformed by a particular individual, or plunge into a defining moment in an individual's life, or learn how an individual went on to influence some of history's other great revolutionaries. Most importantly: you'll come away with a thorough understanding of why history is so indebted-for better or, in some instances, for worse-to these 36 epic figures, including Socrates, Queen Victoria, Abraham Lincoln, and Mohandas Gandhi. You'll also encounter figures that you may not have considered to be so revolutionary.

It takes a great professor to help you understand what makes a single person change the world. To that end, we've assembled individual lectures from some of our most highly rated and beloved professors and instructors. Drawn from a range of academic fields (including military history, science, literature, religious studies, and philosophy), each professor lends his or her expert knowledge and teaching skills to making this an authoritative learning experience.

Countless adventures await you with this carefully crafted look at titanic historical figures. If you have a friend who is new to The Great Courses, this collection makes for an accessible and rewarding first step into lifelong learning.

This is an anthology of lectures pulled from other Great Courses. Apparently, someone decided on a list of revolutionary figures and then went in search of lectures that mention those people.

Unfortunately, the lecturers do not know that they are supposed to be talking about how or why these people were revolutionaries. Also, since the other courses vary in topic from art, history and politics it gives a very uneven feel to the work.

I couldn't finish it and would not recommend it.

28 of 29 people found this review helpful

george

Bathurst, Australia

16/11/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Cut and Paste version will disappoint!! (Again)"

This and its companion 36 Books that Changed the World, is a compilation of material created for clearly different purposes and then pasted together under a flimsy rationale. I bought both, excited by the potential, but was very disappointed. GREAT COURSES has produced many excellent, educational and informative lecture series - this is NOT one.

12 of 13 people found this review helpful

Tina A

08/04/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Disorganized Mishmash"

I was very disappointed with this. This was snippets of chapters from many courses. Kind of just a middle lecture promising either to tell more of the story in a future lecture or not having a clear beginning. Some of these were boring- if you are looking for life and times of these leaders this will not suffice. Some were even very insignificant contributions. This one was a waste of time and of one credit. I learned very little.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Emma

04/01/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great Variety"

I really liked this Great Course because it was 36 different lecturers talking about what they know best. There were a few historical figures I thought were missing (why a lecture on Churchill but not Lenin or Stalin or FDR?) but that's going to be the case in every series like this. What I loved was the variety of characters discussed: world leaders, artists and writers, philosophers, religious icons, scientists... It was a very rewarding listen.

Only thing to be aware of is that the lectures each individually come out of other courses, so occasionally the lecturer will refer to that course or reference previous or upcoming lectures that you aren't privy to. Otherwise really solid.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Alex

03/01/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"36 History All-Stars"

A well documented but brief review of the accomplishments and driving ideals of thirty-six of history's most important people.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Pegeen

United States

03/01/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"too disjointed and random out of context"

this is a collection of parts from full courses. i knew that but expected more of an effort to create a semi-unified product. Some were great some were hardly understandable out of context. Too many were victims of forest for the trees because they had been plucked out of context. I would recommend a full course rather than these samplers -- now that I have sampled them I really do like the Great Courses and if this is all you have tried -- instead try the real full course (s) you are interested in.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Mark A. Brezenski

02/12/16

Overall

"ridiculous"

i have purchased more than 30 Great Courses over the years. i have generally always been pleased. but this is a greedy attempt to repackage several unrelated lectures under the guise of being a "course" on revolutionary figures. pathetic

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Owen T.

26/04/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Smart Work"

Very informative.The professor's voice on the Churchill section was a bit jarring, though.Enjoyed it from beginning to end.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Virginiawallah

20/03/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Not at all what I expected"

What disappointed you about 36 Revolutionary Figures of History?

Disjointed lectures where speaker keeps referring to it past or future lectures which you don't have.

Has 36 Revolutionary Figures of History turned you off from other books in this genre?

Considering it.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

36 narrators, which one.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment

Any additional comments?

This is cheating, I assume a lecture series to be start to end as one unit but here you get 36 disjointed blips of history, very poor.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Michael Simonsen

16/04/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Super fun synopsis of Great Courses history set"

If you're like me and listen to course after course, this is a fun one for the comparative aspect. Some of these I'd heard previously in their full lecture, others helped me find lectures I wanted to dive into in more depth.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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